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[00:01]
James Prothero
Hi, I'm James Prothero, Associate professor at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. We hope you've enjoyed listening to and learning from our professors on this and all our podcasts. The Augustine Institute Graduate School exists to make Christ and his church better known and loved through the exercise of academic study. With St. Augustine as our guide, we focus on the narrative of Scripture and the evangelization of the culture. Faculty and students alike immerse themselves in the rich sources of the Catholic faith, drawing upon sacred Scripture, the catechism of the Catholic Church, and the writings of the fathers and doctors of the church. We have 550 students and over a thousand alumni serving the church in parishes, dioceses, schools, the academy apostolates, the domestic church, and even the secular world. With master's degrees in theology, past Pastoral Theology, Catholic Education, and Biblical Studies. Our programs are for anyone looking to go deeper in their faith. Are you interested in studying theology with the professors of this podcast? Earn your degree online or on campus in St. Louis, Missouri. Apply now for the coming term of study. Learn more@ augustine.edu.
[01:15]
Podcast Narrator
you're listening to a podcast on Catholic Saints. This podcast is produced by the Augustine Institute, an apostolate helping Catholics understand, live and share their faith.
[01:34]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Hello and welcome to Catholic Saints, the podcast about the lives of the saints and their legacy for the church and for us. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Klein and I'm joined today by Father Taga Ng, who is a colleague here at the Augustine Institute to talk about St. John Vianney. Welcome, Tega.
[01:50]
Father Tega Ng
Thank you, Dr. Klein. It's a delight to be here again.
[01:54]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, we've done a couple of these so far, but you're just getting started on your saint resume here. Can you tell me about maybe a recent time that the saints came up in class or a way you use the saints in the classroom?
[02:09]
Father Tega Ng
Yes, I use some saints here. The Carmelite saints, specifically Saint Teresa of Avila and also John of the Cross and Elizabeth of the Trinity. When I teach the course on the Trinity, it's a beautiful moment when the students are able to see how the saints did not only intellectually understand or leave the doctrine of the Trinity, but in their life of prayer and their spirituality, they were able to see everything as a participation in the life of the Trinity. And it's always one of the most beautiful sections of the class with many students making references to those sections.
[02:45]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Well, you're making St. Augustine very happy. That's something he would love. So today we are talking about St. John Biani or John Mary, whose feast day is August 4th. I think he's a pretty well known saint, but he has a really interesting life. So can you tell us a little bit about who he is and yes, thank you, Liz.
[03:05]
Father Tega Ng
John Mereviani is a sin close to my heart. Being a priest, of course, that should be obvious. He was born on 8th May, 1786 in Dadilly, a small village near Lyon in France. And he was the fourth of six children born to Matthew Vianney and Marie Belouse. And he grew up in Dardili with his family. They were very poor peasants, but very strong in their faith. And Vianney's life is very interesting because it coincided with the French Revolution. He was born barely three years before the French Revolution began, or began rather, in 1789. And as we know, the French Revolution came with a lot of persecution for the Church, when the Freemasons would push for the persecution of nuns, priests, Christians. They will be rounded up, tortured and killed. We have so many matters from that era. And while this was going on, John Meriviani, the young Jean Marie, was secretly studying the catechism. And at the age of 13, that was 1803, he received his first Holy Communion, interestingly, in a home in a little town called. And this was a Mass celebrated by one of the priests who are not defected, who had not given in to the revolution. And that was a very big and important turning point in his life because shortly after that he expressed of this strong desire wanting to become a priest. If I am to be a priest, he would say, I will win many souls for God. And this became so true in his life.
[04:40]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, that's a big aspiration for. Did he say that, like, when he was kind of right at that time, when he's in his teens?
[04:45]
Father Tega Ng
Yes, in his teens. I was just around the age of 17.
[04:48]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
That's amazing. I'm always amazed when you have these young saints. Well, you know, you're kind of idealistic when you're young, but to hear like this kind of idealism in some of these young saints and then to see a barefoot in their life, it's really amazing.
[04:59]
Father Tega Ng
Exactly.
[05:00]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Okay, so he's born at this really tumultuous time, but has a strong attraction to the faith. And then. But if I recall, like, seminary doesn't go so well for him. Right. It's not like a smooth. Well, I like to point this out because sometimes we think about, you know, Therese of Lisieux or something, who's like, she wanted to be a Carmelite, she got to be a Carmelite. She was a Holy Carmelite. And then she died, and she was awesome. And we think that all the saints lives are like that, when actually, that's very unusual. And of course, Therese had her challenges too. I don't mean to make it sound like she didn't have any suffering or anything, but most saints have bumps in the road.
[05:34]
Father Tega Ng
And John Merivene was one of such saints. He wanted to go to seminary at an early age of about 17, but then he was from a very poor family, so he started right from there. Financial challenges or hardship, and his father could not afford it. But at the age of 20, finally they were able to send him to seminary. But you mentioned even before, the challenges he faced in seminary itself was actually constricted into Napoleon's army. Oh, yeah. Mistakenly so, because those who were in seminary school were exempted from joining the revolution of fighting the wars. But then somehow he was conscripted around the year 1809, just three years after I entered seminary.
[06:12]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Okay.
[06:13]
Father Tega Ng
And he actually had to run away. And then, as the story goes, he was helped by another loan local who hid him in the barn. But then the army came into the house and they actually poked his spear onto the barn and it actually got him around the ribs. Yeah. He had to stay sick for some time, but eventually recovered. But then, thankfully, in the year 10, 1810, that's just one year after that happened, There was an amnesty and then he was released and he went back to seminary. But then when he got to seminary, the popular story we tell about John Mary Vian is that he was a very dull seminarian, which I don't think so. Honestly, Liz, I don't think so. So when you look at what he eventually went on to accomplish, I think that was just a matter of the language.
[06:55]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
So he just wasn't good at Latin.
[06:56]
Father Tega Ng
He wasn't good at Latin exactly, Because studies then was in Latin. So they were like he was dull because he could not pass exams. He could not understand the language. But then there was this priest around then, was the pastor of a church not far from where he went to seminary. Father Bali, as it was known, he took John in and he tutored John personally in theology. And then he made a case for him before the bishop who saw into his holy sinners. And he spidey and decided to give him a chance. And that's how John got ordained. Yeah, he was ordained on 13 August in 1815 at the age of 29.
[07:32]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Having a good reference letter from a priest has always been a useful thing. You know, it's like, it's. You read this saint slate and it can just. If you read this on like Wikipedia or something, it just seem like a list of facts. Like he was born and then he wanted to be a priest, and then he was in the like army for a bit and then. But if you actually think about psychologically, you know, our own lives, when we're our vocations or our calls, it's like, what would you think? You know, this great desire for the priesthood, and then all of a sudden you get conscripted and then your life is sort of threatened, and then you finally get back to seminary and they kick you out because you're dumb. That is not a very clear sign from God.
[08:11]
Father Tega Ng
It reminds me of my own story, Liz. I actually wanted to run away at some point when I felt God was calling me.
[08:17]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Because you were bad at Latin?
[08:19]
Father Tega Ng
No, not because I was bad at Latin.
[08:21]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
I'm just kidd.
[08:23]
Father Tega Ng
Maybe because I was not sure I really wanted to say yes to God. You know, I had an opposite problem. I was conflicted. I had other dreams, other aspirations planned for myself. And then I felt God was calling me. I remember praying and wishing I should be kicked out by my bishop. But then things did not work out as I hoped. And I thank God today that things did not work out as I hoped. Because you see, when we look at the life of John Meriviani, actually, we see some kind of resilience, perseverance, and that's something which I think all of us can learn from John Meduviani.
[08:54]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, absolutely.
[08:55]
Father Tega Ng
Yeah.
[08:56]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Okay, so this is still only. So now he's a priest. But how do we get to the famous Curie of ours?
[09:02]
Father Tega Ng
Yes, yes, that's the interesting part of his life, or the most interesting as far as I'm concerned. He worked with father Bali for three years after his ordination until the year 1818 when he was assigned now to go man a parish. You know, this was so called a dull priest. But then just barely three years after he was being assigned to go take care of a parish. But then, mind you, where he was sent was in, as you know, tiny little town with barely 200, some say 250, but I think averagely 230 people or inhabitants. So he was on his way. There's a famous story which I love. On his way to AZ on the 9th of February, precisely in 1818, he meets this young boy, Antoine Guivre, or Antoine Guivre, as the case may be, was kind of shepherd boy with his flock. And then he was asking after, ask this boy. Where can you point me to? Azz. Far away from where we are. And the boy was like, oh, no, it's not very far. It's over there. And then the boy opted to lead Vianney to this. To this little village. And when they got to the village, Vianney looked at the boy and thanked him and said to him, thank you for showing me the way to us. I will show you the way to heaven. That's sweet. That's beautiful. It tells you this was a man whose heart was set on God.
[10:17]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Absolutely.
[10:17]
Father Tega Ng
And remember what he said when he was quite younger. You know, if I am to be a priest, I will win souls for God. We see that already unfolding in his life as it gets to us. And when he got to this place, his pastoral work or itinerary was cut out for him. He visited the poorest of the poor families, you know, he restored the village church, which was dilapidated. He organized, well, they call it patronage feast days, like feast days for the different patron saints for the different members of his community, as the case may be. And of course, he had a great devotion to the Eucharist. And he would go on to found what became known as La Providence. It was a home for, some say, orphan girls. But I think every girl was welcome into that home where he cared for them and tutored them. That was around the year 1824.
[11:04]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
I absolutely love that the carry of ours is from this, like, tiny town in the middle of nowhere. It just seems. It seems so supreme example of the way that God works. This priest who's born in an inauspicious time in France, who is the bottom of his class in seminary, who gets sent to the smallest town and then has one of the most profound impacts on the church in France. And I often think that's like God's sense of humor, you know, like, whose idea is to send his son to this nothing nation, this tiny place to hang out with 12 fishermen. Like, it really kicks against our understanding of human ambition and how God desires to work. And also so encouraging because we often find ourselves in the hours of our lives doing things that we think we wouldn't be doing. And his great love for his vocation and the people, despite being, I don't know, essentially sidelined. I mean, essentially sent to this tiny little parish.
[12:06]
Father Tega Ng
No one thought anything of us by then, but that was to change very quickly. And I think ours will be one of the most visited places in France to this date.
[12:15]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
It's amazing.
[12:16]
Father Tega Ng
It's amazing. And one of the most Important things we know about the cure d' art as it got to be called, cure pastor in French. Cure das was his love for the conversion of souls. He spent every single thing about his life working for the conversion of souls. And there's a lot we can say about it. But even before we say much about the sacrament of confession, which he loves so much, and how it marked his priesthood and his legacy, I think sometimes we even overlook some of the other miracles. You hardly hear about these which are associated with this great saint because we always focus on what happened in the confessional. He was a saint that was in the ranks of Padre Pio that is popularly known for this. He could tell his soul's sin to the soul when the soul was trying to hide it away from God. He would remind his soul, you have committed this sin, but you haven't told God about it. He will tell you details about your life that you did not even know. In fact, there was an occasion where a came into church while the cure was in for confession, as he would normally do, and the woman was coming to ask for advice from the cure. The woman had a 15, he was a widow, a 15 year old son who wanted to marry a girl as young as that age. But then the cure saw the woman coming without even knowing what the woman was coming to do. Everybody did not know. He walked out of the confessional before the woman could say a word. Approached this woman and told her, let them get married, they will be happy. You know, he could read people's minds and he knew how to give great advice. And there was also the case of another girl, a slave girl who was going to be killed by serial killer back home. And the cure walked up to her and told her, don't go back home, leave immediately. And that's how her life was spared. Talkless of the so many healing miracles that were associated with him, more than 30 were documented around the time for his canonization. I remember the mayor of us actually made a comment when they were kind of debating, did he really heal someone who was blind? And the mayor just interjected, oh yeah, such miracles are very common with our cure. He does it all the time, you know, and there are tons and tons of such examples. So I just love that about him.
[14:17]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, that's amazing. I always joke that the cure of Ars is an example of how they didn't used to move priests around to parishes because he never would have got to stay in Ars. But yeah, that they claimed him and also that small intimate community meant that these miracles were Known.
[14:35]
Father Tega Ng
They were known.
[14:35]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
They were known. And people could talk about them and celebrate them.
[14:38]
Father Tega Ng
You know, when the church wants to canonize, you sometimes look for one miracle, two miracles. But this guy had more than 30 documented and lots more that were not even mentioned. He would even multiply loaves, just like his master, Jesus. He was known for the miracle of providence, multiplication of loaves for those who were needy. Yeah, he was blessed with so many great gifts. But all of these, you know, this came from the fact that he had surrendered everything to God. He was that man who forgot of himself so completely. He lived absolutely for God and for nothing else.
[15:11]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah. And also you can tell in his writings, in the story about him, just this purity of heart, this total surrender to God and that God working through that littleness, the littleness of his spirit, the littleness of the parish he was in, the littleness of his background and how God just multiplied through that humility, which is so fundamental to the faith.
[15:34]
Father Tega Ng
And the saint was, I mean, like in seminary, considered to be a dull seminarian. You wouldn't expect him to do such great things. And there is a catechism now attributed to him, a compilation of his sermons, talks and little teachings here and there, catechism classes.
[15:50]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
So if he didn't get. I'm most likely to succeed in the seminary yearbook. Okay, so this is lots of awesome stuff about his kind of biography. What do you think is the sort of the legacy that he leaves to the church?
[16:07]
Father Tega Ng
Yes, I titled the legacy of John Mirvenshti. I think about it as a martyrdom of the confessional. I regard him as a matter of the confessional. He was not called to die Martha's death, but he gave his life to God and for God, to the people, for the people in the confessional. I think that's the greatest legacy, which I always think about when I think of John Meryv, especially being a priest. You know, he literally poured himself out in this way. And we are told of thousands of conversions which happened because of that. And again, this. Remember as a young boy, what did he say? I win souls for God. And he spent his whole life doing that. And to this day, we are told that about 20,000 confessions were heard by him every year.
[16:51]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
You said that. You said it before, like, even as high as 75,000. Like, what, how many hours is that? Like, just seems like unless people confessed faster back then.
[17:01]
Father Tega Ng
Yeah. I mean, we are told that he spent about 16 hours in the confessional on average, sometimes 18 hours in the summer every day. That for me, it's martyrdom as a priest. Staying a confessional for one hour, it's exhausting, you know, and then sometimes you go for two hours, you just gotta listen.
[17:21]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
What are you doing in there?
[17:24]
Father Tega Ng
I think it's way more than listening. The confessional. You actually exercise in a very intimate way, the ministry of Christ as priests. It's one of those moments which are teardroping for me, when you sit in the confessional, unworthy as you are, you sit there and you see the brokenness of humanity, and at the same time you see the depth and beauty of faith. And in some miraculous, interesting, unthinkable way, you can feel and touch and taste the mercy of God, how souls are transformed. I think it's one of the greatest things. Each time I hear of John Meroviani, I remember and it always reminds and challenges me as a priest, you know, spending time there and bringing souls to Christ. He did not wait for them. When he went to us, we know it was a very corrupt place, all kind of debouchery and licentiousness. He spent his time hammering it down. Convert, repent, turn to the Lord. And he became unpopular for that. But then before long, he had converted the whole village. And these numbers, people will come from all across France and all across the world just to listen to the wisdom of John Maruviani. Because in the confessional you don't just forgive sins in the name of Christ, of course, Christ acting through you as a priest, but at the same time, you pour out the balm of grace. You pour out at the same time the wisdom of God which he communicates to the soul in a way that are beyond whatever words you say to them.
[18:51]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
It's interesting that you kind of talk about him as a martyr of the confessional. I never really thought about this before, but of course, the word confessor formerly used to refer to somebody who was tortured because they professed the faith. But in some sense, his sitting in the confessional is like a voluntary imprisonment. You know, it's like a. It's sitting in basically a cell and chaining yourself to it, really. And so it sort of combines the meaning of the older meaning of confessor with what we typically think about as a confessor.
[19:27]
Father Tega Ng
It is a very Christlike act and a Christlike posture. You know, Christ confining himself in that little piece of bread, confining himself in the tabernacle, waiting for us, the Lord of the universe. This a man with his freedom to do whatever he wanted to do, to go wherever he wanted to go, but he Confined himself to that little box for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of souls. And it's interesting, you know, you see, God has a strange sense of humor, like you mentioned. Think of the number of people who have come to know what us is today just because of that act of selflessness. This a man who was little known, a town that was little known. But then today, we are told about 350,000 to 550,000 people visit us every single year.
[20:07]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
That's amazing. That's even more than when he was alive.
[20:11]
Father Tega Ng
Exactly.
[20:12]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
That's amazing.
[20:12]
Father Tega Ng
The legacy transcends time. And because of this, there are two episodes which I would like to share quickly, which relate to his whole life in the confessional. It was because of his time in the confessional and his love for the confession of souls that he was hated most by the enemy, the Devil, so to speak. There are so many testimonies, even from his own sister, about the torments he suffered while he was in Ars from the evil one. You know, just like St. Antonio, Iji, who saw the devil wrestle with the devil. It was the same thing. Sometimes the devil come, pull him by the leg and take him around his whole house, and there'll be screaming sounds and everything from his house. In fact, on one occasion when the sister visited. The sister's name is Marguerite Vianney, visited John and stayed over in the rectory for the night. And John was still in church listening to confession when she started hearing all of these strange sounds. And then she ran to church to meet the brother, like, I cannot sleep. And the brother said this to her. And I quote from her sister's testimony. Oh, my child, you should not have been frightened. It is the grappling, the pitchfork, that is the devil. He cannot hurt you. As for me, he torments me in sundry ways. At times he seizes me by the feet and drags me about the room. It is because I convert souls to the good of God. That's powerful. It tells you a man who is full of faith, who is not afraid of the evil one, and who has given his life for God.
[21:36]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
It's interesting, too, because it reminds me both of St. Benedict and St. Anthony in that the one whom the Devil seems to assail is people who stay in a cave and refuse to go anywhere. You know, it's like Anthony and Benedict. It's both this massive stability, the unmovable devotion to God, you know, physically. And he's in the confessional very much the same sort of. He's holed himself up in a cave and he's staying there for God. So it's kind of. Kind of interesting. Okay. And he becomes, if I. If I'm right, he's the patron saint of priests.
[22:12]
Father Tega Ng
Of priests. He was originally patron saint of parish priests. Three years after he was canonized in 1925, he was made patron saint of parish priests. But in 2010, Pope Benedict met in the patron saint of all priests during the year for priests.
[22:27]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Nice.
[22:28]
Father Tega Ng
Yes.
[22:28]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
All right. So we've heard a lot about John beyond Nina's life and these amazing stories and miracles. And then confessional. What would you say? Sort of like a takeaway for us? Like, how can they inspire us to live our lives as Catholics better today?
[22:41]
Father Tega Ng
Yeah. John is an icon of perseverance in every aspect, in every respect. It's one of the biggest things we can take away. Perseverance on the path of holiness, on the path to which God has called us. Persevering. He's an icon of great humility and modesty.
[22:56]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, absolutely.
[22:56]
Father Tega Ng
He would wear tattered clothes. He wouldn't care. They don't go with a trend of fashion. And for priests, it's actually a great example and a mother who cannot be labeled. A point. It's a good challenge for us to ask ourselves how much love we have for the souls God has entrusted to our care, how much time we make for them. He did not wait for people to come to ask for confession. He made time for that. He made them know the value of it. So we can also copy that example as priests especially, multiply the opportunities for confessions.
[23:27]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
I think you're totally right. It's a totally, like, build it and they will come situation with confession. I know that as a mom, it's like really. It's just really hard to get to confession for all kinds of reasons. And if more time's available, more people will come. And. Yeah, anyway, it's a great gift.
[23:42]
Father Tega Ng
And on the other hand, too, on the other hand, too, it's a challenge for all Christians, for all of us, you know, to learn from this great sin, the urgency and necessity to use the sacrament of confession, to turn to the Lord and lastly, to be rooted in Jesus Christ. That was a secret and source of everything. John was known for and is known for rootedness in Jesus Christ.
[24:02]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Well, this is wonderful. And I think you spoke very beautifully about a priest's experience of confession that will hopefully help us both see John's legacy and head people towards the confessional.
[24:14]
Father Tega Ng
Exactly.
[24:15]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Thank you so much.
[24:16]
Father Tega Ng
You're welcome.
[24:17]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
St. John Maraviani, pray for us thank
[24:20]
Podcast Narrator
you for being a dedicated listener to the Catholic Saints podcast. Your support truly uplifts us. For those seeking additional thought provoking content, go to formed.org It's a platform brimming with resources, including insightful videos that align seamlessly with our podcast's themes. If you're finding value in our podcast, please consider taking a moment to leave us a review. Your feedback serves as a cornerstone for our growth and outreach.

Summary6 min read

Catholic Saints – Episode Summary

Podcast: Catholic Saints
Host: Augustine Institute
Episode: St. John Vianney
Date: August 4, 2026
Guests: Dr. Elizabeth Klein (Host), Father Tega Ng (Guest)

Overview

This episode of the Catholic Saints podcast centers on the life, ministry, and enduring legacy of St. John Vianney (the Curé of Ars), patron saint of parish priests and, more recently, all priests. Through a rich biographical discussion and personal perspectives, Dr. Elizabeth Klein and Father Tega Ng examine Vianney's humble beginnings, challenges in seminary, extraordinary ministry, and lessons for Catholics today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Saints and Classroom Experience

Use of Saints in Teaching:
- Father Tega shares how Carmelite saints like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross illuminate spirituality and the doctrine of the Trinity in his classes, underscoring how saints model both doctrinal understanding and experiential prayer.
  - “It's a beautiful moment when the students are able to see how the saints did not only intellectually understand or leave the doctrine of the Trinity, but in their life of prayer and their spirituality, they were able to see everything as a participation in the life of the Trinity.” (02:09, Father Tega Ng)

Early Life and Vocation

Historical Context:
- Vianney was born in 1786 in rural France, just before the French Revolution—an era of violent church persecution. His religious education often took place in secret.
- At age 13, he received first Holy Communion in a hidden Mass, which solidified his desire to become a priest.
Calling to Priesthood:
- As a teen, Vianney aspired to win souls for God, a theme that defined his priestly life.
  - “If I am to be a priest, I will win many souls for God.” (04:33, paraphrased by Father Tega Ng)
Seminary Struggles:
- Financial hardship delayed seminary entry until age 20.
- Drafted into Napoleon’s army by mistake; went into hiding and then returned following an amnesty.
- Significant academic struggle, primarily due to difficulty with Latin—not intellectual inability.
  - “He was a very dull seminarian, which I don't think so...he could not pass exams. He could not understand the language.” (06:51, Father Tega Ng)
- Ultimately ordained at age 29 after tutoring and special advocacy by a local priest.

Ministry in Ars

Assignment to Ars:
- Assigned to a remote and spiritually neglected village with only about 230 residents.
- Notable encounter upon arrival—guided to the village by a shepherd boy; Vianney famously said:
  - “Thank you for showing me the way to Ars. I will show you the way to heaven.” (09:54, recounted by Father Tega Ng)
- Committed to outreach: visited families, rebuilt the church, organized community celebrations, and established La Providence for girls in need.
God’s "Sense of Humor":
- Dr. Klein reflects on how God elevates the obscure, mirroring the Gospel pattern:
  - “This priest who's born in an inauspicious time in France, who is the bottom of his class in seminary, who gets sent to the smallest town and then has one of the most profound impacts on the church in France.” (11:11, Dr. Elizabeth Klein)

Miracles and Spiritual Gifts

Pastoral Zeal and Charisms:
- Vianney’s reputation as confessor and spiritual advisor grew—he was known for reading hearts and providing prophetic guidance.
- Documented miracles include physical healings (over 30 verified at canonization), multiplication of food, and spiritual insights.
  - “He could tell a soul's sin to the soul when the soul was trying to hide it away from God.” (13:11, Father Tega Ng)
  - “The mayor... just interjected: 'Oh yeah, such miracles are very common with our Curé, he does it all the time.'” (14:09, Father Tega Ng)
Humility and Surrender:
- Despite his struggles and “unlikeliness,” Vianney remains an icon of humility and total surrender to God.

Legacy: Martyr of the Confessional

Penitential Ministry:
- Referred to as the “martyr of the confessional” for hearing as many as 16–18 hours of confessions daily, averaging tens of thousands per year.
  - “We are told that about 20,000 confessions were heard by him every year.” (16:50, Father Tega Ng)
  - “He spent about 16 hours in the confessional on average, sometimes 18 hours in the summer every day. That, for me, it's martyrdom as a priest.” (17:00, Father Tega Ng)
Transformational Impact:
- Helped transform a community known for vice into a center of spiritual revival. Pilgrims continue to flock to Ars, now a major Catholic pilgrimage site.
Spiritual Warfare:
- Endured demonic oppressions at Ars, described in witnesses’ accounts:
  - “Oh, my child, you should not have been frightened. It is the grappling, the pitchfork, that is the devil. He cannot hurt you. As for me, he torments me in sundry ways... It is because I convert souls to the good of God.” (21:10, quoting St. John Vianney via Father Tega Ng)

Vianney’s Example for Today

Patron of Priests:
- Patron of parish priests (since 1929), expanded to all priests (2010).
  - “In 2010, Pope Benedict made him the patron saint of all priests during the Year for Priests.” (22:11, Father Tega Ng)
Lessons for All Christians:
- Perseverance: Through adversity and spiritual dryness.
- Humility: Content with littleness; unconcerned with status or recognition.
- Devotion to Souls: Priests (and all Christians) are called to deep concern for others’ salvation.
  - “He did not wait for people to come to ask for confession. He made time for that. He made them know the value of it.” (22:56, Father Tega Ng)
- Access to Grace: Encourages frequent sacramental confession.
Invitation to Rootedness in Christ:
- The source of Vianney’s impact was his deep, daily relationship with Jesus.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Vocation Amid Trials:

“What would you think? You know, this great desire for the priesthood, and then all of a sudden, you get conscripted ... then you finally get back to seminary and they kick you out because you’re dumb. That is not a very clear sign from God.”
(07:32, Dr. Elizabeth Klein)
On Confession as Sacrificial:

“It is a very Christlike act and a Christlike posture. You know, Christ confining himself in that little piece of bread... This is a man who... confined himself to that little box for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of souls.”
(19:26, Father Tega Ng)
On God's Irony:

“God has a strange sense of humor... This is a man who was little known, a town that was little known. But then today, we are told about 350,000 to 550,000 people visit Ars every single year.”
(19:40, Father Tega Ng)
On Confession as Transformation:

“In some miraculous, interesting, unthinkable way, you can feel and touch and taste the mercy of God, how souls are transformed. I think it's one of the greatest things.”
(17:23, Father Tega Ng)

Important Timestamps

02:09 — Saints in the classroom; Carmelite influence on students
03:04 — Early life and faith in Revolution-era France
06:51 — Seminary struggles and eventual ordination
09:54 — Arrival in Ars and the “way to heaven” story
13:11 — Vianney’s spiritual gifts and reading souls
16:50 — Massive number of confessions and priestly exhaustion
19:26 — Spiritual symbolism of the confessional
21:10 — Demonic assaults and reaction of Vianney and his sister
22:11 — Vianney as patron saint of (all) priests
22:40 — Key takeaways: perseverance, humility, devotion to souls

Final Reflections

Dr. Klein and Father Tega encourage listeners—especially priests, but all Catholics—to imitate St. John Vianney’s perseverance, humility, dedication to prayer, and loving service to others, especially in sacramental confession.
The enduring message: God works powerful things through humble instruments; faithfulness in “small places” can resonate throughout the Church and the world.

St. John Vianney, pray for us!

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[00:01]
James Prothero
Hi, I'm James Prothero, Associate professor at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. We hope you've enjoyed listening to and learning from our professors on this and all our podcasts. The Augustine Institute Graduate School exists to make Christ and his church better known and loved through the exercise of academic study. With St. Augustine as our guide, we focus on the narrative of Scripture and the evangelization of the culture. Faculty and students alike immerse themselves in the rich sources of the Catholic faith, drawing upon sacred Scripture, the catechism of the Catholic Church, and the writings of the fathers and doctors of the church. We have 550 students and over a thousand alumni serving the church in parishes, dioceses, schools, the academy apostolates, the domestic church, and even the secular world. With master's degrees in theology, past Pastoral Theology, Catholic Education, and Biblical Studies. Our programs are for anyone looking to go deeper in their faith. Are you interested in studying theology with the professors of this podcast? Earn your degree online or on campus in St. Louis, Missouri. Apply now for the coming term of study. Learn more@ augustine.edu.
[01:15]
Podcast Narrator
you're listening to a podcast on Catholic Saints. This podcast is produced by the Augustine Institute, an apostolate helping Catholics understand, live and share their faith.
[01:34]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Hello and welcome to Catholic Saints, the podcast about the lives of the saints and their legacy for the church and for us. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Klein and I'm joined today by Father Taga Ng, who is a colleague here at the Augustine Institute to talk about St. John Vianney. Welcome, Tega.
[01:50]
Father Tega Ng
Thank you, Dr. Klein. It's a delight to be here again.
[01:54]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, we've done a couple of these so far, but you're just getting started on your saint resume here. Can you tell me about maybe a recent time that the saints came up in class or a way you use the saints in the classroom?
[02:09]
Father Tega Ng
Yes, I use some saints here. The Carmelite saints, specifically Saint Teresa of Avila and also John of the Cross and Elizabeth of the Trinity. When I teach the course on the Trinity, it's a beautiful moment when the students are able to see how the saints did not only intellectually understand or leave the doctrine of the Trinity, but in their life of prayer and their spirituality, they were able to see everything as a participation in the life of the Trinity. And it's always one of the most beautiful sections of the class with many students making references to those sections.
[02:45]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Well, you're making St. Augustine very happy. That's something he would love. So today we are talking about St. John Biani or John Mary, whose feast day is August 4th. I think he's a pretty well known saint, but he has a really interesting life. So can you tell us a little bit about who he is and yes, thank you, Liz.
[03:05]
Father Tega Ng
John Mereviani is a sin close to my heart. Being a priest, of course, that should be obvious. He was born on 8th May, 1786 in Dadilly, a small village near Lyon in France. And he was the fourth of six children born to Matthew Vianney and Marie Belouse. And he grew up in Dardili with his family. They were very poor peasants, but very strong in their faith. And Vianney's life is very interesting because it coincided with the French Revolution. He was born barely three years before the French Revolution began, or began rather, in 1789. And as we know, the French Revolution came with a lot of persecution for the Church, when the Freemasons would push for the persecution of nuns, priests, Christians. They will be rounded up, tortured and killed. We have so many matters from that era. And while this was going on, John Meriviani, the young Jean Marie, was secretly studying the catechism. And at the age of 13, that was 1803, he received his first Holy Communion, interestingly, in a home in a little town called. And this was a Mass celebrated by one of the priests who are not defected, who had not given in to the revolution. And that was a very big and important turning point in his life because shortly after that he expressed of this strong desire wanting to become a priest. If I am to be a priest, he would say, I will win many souls for God. And this became so true in his life.
[04:40]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, that's a big aspiration for. Did he say that, like, when he was kind of right at that time, when he's in his teens?
[04:45]
Father Tega Ng
Yes, in his teens. I was just around the age of 17.
[04:48]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
That's amazing. I'm always amazed when you have these young saints. Well, you know, you're kind of idealistic when you're young, but to hear like this kind of idealism in some of these young saints and then to see a barefoot in their life, it's really amazing.
[04:59]
Father Tega Ng
Exactly.
[05:00]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Okay, so he's born at this really tumultuous time, but has a strong attraction to the faith. And then. But if I recall, like, seminary doesn't go so well for him. Right. It's not like a smooth. Well, I like to point this out because sometimes we think about, you know, Therese of Lisieux or something, who's like, she wanted to be a Carmelite, she got to be a Carmelite. She was a Holy Carmelite. And then she died, and she was awesome. And we think that all the saints lives are like that, when actually, that's very unusual. And of course, Therese had her challenges too. I don't mean to make it sound like she didn't have any suffering or anything, but most saints have bumps in the road.
[05:34]
Father Tega Ng
And John Merivene was one of such saints. He wanted to go to seminary at an early age of about 17, but then he was from a very poor family, so he started right from there. Financial challenges or hardship, and his father could not afford it. But at the age of 20, finally they were able to send him to seminary. But you mentioned even before, the challenges he faced in seminary itself was actually constricted into Napoleon's army. Oh, yeah. Mistakenly so, because those who were in seminary school were exempted from joining the revolution of fighting the wars. But then somehow he was conscripted around the year 1809, just three years after I entered seminary.
[06:12]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Okay.
[06:13]
Father Tega Ng
And he actually had to run away. And then, as the story goes, he was helped by another loan local who hid him in the barn. But then the army came into the house and they actually poked his spear onto the barn and it actually got him around the ribs. Yeah. He had to stay sick for some time, but eventually recovered. But then, thankfully, in the year 10, 1810, that's just one year after that happened, There was an amnesty and then he was released and he went back to seminary. But then when he got to seminary, the popular story we tell about John Mary Vian is that he was a very dull seminarian, which I don't think so. Honestly, Liz, I don't think so. So when you look at what he eventually went on to accomplish, I think that was just a matter of the language.
[06:55]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
So he just wasn't good at Latin.
[06:56]
Father Tega Ng
He wasn't good at Latin exactly, Because studies then was in Latin. So they were like he was dull because he could not pass exams. He could not understand the language. But then there was this priest around then, was the pastor of a church not far from where he went to seminary. Father Bali, as it was known, he took John in and he tutored John personally in theology. And then he made a case for him before the bishop who saw into his holy sinners. And he spidey and decided to give him a chance. And that's how John got ordained. Yeah, he was ordained on 13 August in 1815 at the age of 29.
[07:32]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Having a good reference letter from a priest has always been a useful thing. You know, it's like, it's. You read this saint slate and it can just. If you read this on like Wikipedia or something, it just seem like a list of facts. Like he was born and then he wanted to be a priest, and then he was in the like army for a bit and then. But if you actually think about psychologically, you know, our own lives, when we're our vocations or our calls, it's like, what would you think? You know, this great desire for the priesthood, and then all of a sudden you get conscripted and then your life is sort of threatened, and then you finally get back to seminary and they kick you out because you're dumb. That is not a very clear sign from God.
[08:11]
Father Tega Ng
It reminds me of my own story, Liz. I actually wanted to run away at some point when I felt God was calling me.
[08:17]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Because you were bad at Latin?
[08:19]
Father Tega Ng
No, not because I was bad at Latin.
[08:21]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
I'm just kidd.
[08:23]
Father Tega Ng
Maybe because I was not sure I really wanted to say yes to God. You know, I had an opposite problem. I was conflicted. I had other dreams, other aspirations planned for myself. And then I felt God was calling me. I remember praying and wishing I should be kicked out by my bishop. But then things did not work out as I hoped. And I thank God today that things did not work out as I hoped. Because you see, when we look at the life of John Meriviani, actually, we see some kind of resilience, perseverance, and that's something which I think all of us can learn from John Meduviani.
[08:54]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, absolutely.
[08:55]
Father Tega Ng
Yeah.
[08:56]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Okay, so this is still only. So now he's a priest. But how do we get to the famous Curie of ours?
[09:02]
Father Tega Ng
Yes, yes, that's the interesting part of his life, or the most interesting as far as I'm concerned. He worked with father Bali for three years after his ordination until the year 1818 when he was assigned now to go man a parish. You know, this was so called a dull priest. But then just barely three years after he was being assigned to go take care of a parish. But then, mind you, where he was sent was in, as you know, tiny little town with barely 200, some say 250, but I think averagely 230 people or inhabitants. So he was on his way. There's a famous story which I love. On his way to AZ on the 9th of February, precisely in 1818, he meets this young boy, Antoine Guivre, or Antoine Guivre, as the case may be, was kind of shepherd boy with his flock. And then he was asking after, ask this boy. Where can you point me to? Azz. Far away from where we are. And the boy was like, oh, no, it's not very far. It's over there. And then the boy opted to lead Vianney to this. To this little village. And when they got to the village, Vianney looked at the boy and thanked him and said to him, thank you for showing me the way to us. I will show you the way to heaven. That's sweet. That's beautiful. It tells you this was a man whose heart was set on God.
[10:17]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Absolutely.
[10:17]
Father Tega Ng
And remember what he said when he was quite younger. You know, if I am to be a priest, I will win souls for God. We see that already unfolding in his life as it gets to us. And when he got to this place, his pastoral work or itinerary was cut out for him. He visited the poorest of the poor families, you know, he restored the village church, which was dilapidated. He organized, well, they call it patronage feast days, like feast days for the different patron saints for the different members of his community, as the case may be. And of course, he had a great devotion to the Eucharist. And he would go on to found what became known as La Providence. It was a home for, some say, orphan girls. But I think every girl was welcome into that home where he cared for them and tutored them. That was around the year 1824.
[11:04]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
I absolutely love that the carry of ours is from this, like, tiny town in the middle of nowhere. It just seems. It seems so supreme example of the way that God works. This priest who's born in an inauspicious time in France, who is the bottom of his class in seminary, who gets sent to the smallest town and then has one of the most profound impacts on the church in France. And I often think that's like God's sense of humor, you know, like, whose idea is to send his son to this nothing nation, this tiny place to hang out with 12 fishermen. Like, it really kicks against our understanding of human ambition and how God desires to work. And also so encouraging because we often find ourselves in the hours of our lives doing things that we think we wouldn't be doing. And his great love for his vocation and the people, despite being, I don't know, essentially sidelined. I mean, essentially sent to this tiny little parish.
[12:06]
Father Tega Ng
No one thought anything of us by then, but that was to change very quickly. And I think ours will be one of the most visited places in France to this date.
[12:15]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
It's amazing.
[12:16]
Father Tega Ng
It's amazing. And one of the most Important things we know about the cure d' art as it got to be called, cure pastor in French. Cure das was his love for the conversion of souls. He spent every single thing about his life working for the conversion of souls. And there's a lot we can say about it. But even before we say much about the sacrament of confession, which he loves so much, and how it marked his priesthood and his legacy, I think sometimes we even overlook some of the other miracles. You hardly hear about these which are associated with this great saint because we always focus on what happened in the confessional. He was a saint that was in the ranks of Padre Pio that is popularly known for this. He could tell his soul's sin to the soul when the soul was trying to hide it away from God. He would remind his soul, you have committed this sin, but you haven't told God about it. He will tell you details about your life that you did not even know. In fact, there was an occasion where a came into church while the cure was in for confession, as he would normally do, and the woman was coming to ask for advice from the cure. The woman had a 15, he was a widow, a 15 year old son who wanted to marry a girl as young as that age. But then the cure saw the woman coming without even knowing what the woman was coming to do. Everybody did not know. He walked out of the confessional before the woman could say a word. Approached this woman and told her, let them get married, they will be happy. You know, he could read people's minds and he knew how to give great advice. And there was also the case of another girl, a slave girl who was going to be killed by serial killer back home. And the cure walked up to her and told her, don't go back home, leave immediately. And that's how her life was spared. Talkless of the so many healing miracles that were associated with him, more than 30 were documented around the time for his canonization. I remember the mayor of us actually made a comment when they were kind of debating, did he really heal someone who was blind? And the mayor just interjected, oh yeah, such miracles are very common with our cure. He does it all the time, you know, and there are tons and tons of such examples. So I just love that about him.
[14:17]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, that's amazing. I always joke that the cure of Ars is an example of how they didn't used to move priests around to parishes because he never would have got to stay in Ars. But yeah, that they claimed him and also that small intimate community meant that these miracles were Known.
[14:35]
Father Tega Ng
They were known.
[14:35]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
They were known. And people could talk about them and celebrate them.
[14:38]
Father Tega Ng
You know, when the church wants to canonize, you sometimes look for one miracle, two miracles. But this guy had more than 30 documented and lots more that were not even mentioned. He would even multiply loaves, just like his master, Jesus. He was known for the miracle of providence, multiplication of loaves for those who were needy. Yeah, he was blessed with so many great gifts. But all of these, you know, this came from the fact that he had surrendered everything to God. He was that man who forgot of himself so completely. He lived absolutely for God and for nothing else.
[15:11]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah. And also you can tell in his writings, in the story about him, just this purity of heart, this total surrender to God and that God working through that littleness, the littleness of his spirit, the littleness of the parish he was in, the littleness of his background and how God just multiplied through that humility, which is so fundamental to the faith.
[15:34]
Father Tega Ng
And the saint was, I mean, like in seminary, considered to be a dull seminarian. You wouldn't expect him to do such great things. And there is a catechism now attributed to him, a compilation of his sermons, talks and little teachings here and there, catechism classes.
[15:50]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
So if he didn't get. I'm most likely to succeed in the seminary yearbook. Okay, so this is lots of awesome stuff about his kind of biography. What do you think is the sort of the legacy that he leaves to the church?
[16:07]
Father Tega Ng
Yes, I titled the legacy of John Mirvenshti. I think about it as a martyrdom of the confessional. I regard him as a matter of the confessional. He was not called to die Martha's death, but he gave his life to God and for God, to the people, for the people in the confessional. I think that's the greatest legacy, which I always think about when I think of John Meryv, especially being a priest. You know, he literally poured himself out in this way. And we are told of thousands of conversions which happened because of that. And again, this. Remember as a young boy, what did he say? I win souls for God. And he spent his whole life doing that. And to this day, we are told that about 20,000 confessions were heard by him every year.
[16:51]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
You said that. You said it before, like, even as high as 75,000. Like, what, how many hours is that? Like, just seems like unless people confessed faster back then.
[17:01]
Father Tega Ng
Yeah. I mean, we are told that he spent about 16 hours in the confessional on average, sometimes 18 hours in the summer every day. That for me, it's martyrdom as a priest. Staying a confessional for one hour, it's exhausting, you know, and then sometimes you go for two hours, you just gotta listen.
[17:21]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
What are you doing in there?
[17:24]
Father Tega Ng
I think it's way more than listening. The confessional. You actually exercise in a very intimate way, the ministry of Christ as priests. It's one of those moments which are teardroping for me, when you sit in the confessional, unworthy as you are, you sit there and you see the brokenness of humanity, and at the same time you see the depth and beauty of faith. And in some miraculous, interesting, unthinkable way, you can feel and touch and taste the mercy of God, how souls are transformed. I think it's one of the greatest things. Each time I hear of John Meroviani, I remember and it always reminds and challenges me as a priest, you know, spending time there and bringing souls to Christ. He did not wait for them. When he went to us, we know it was a very corrupt place, all kind of debouchery and licentiousness. He spent his time hammering it down. Convert, repent, turn to the Lord. And he became unpopular for that. But then before long, he had converted the whole village. And these numbers, people will come from all across France and all across the world just to listen to the wisdom of John Maruviani. Because in the confessional you don't just forgive sins in the name of Christ, of course, Christ acting through you as a priest, but at the same time, you pour out the balm of grace. You pour out at the same time the wisdom of God which he communicates to the soul in a way that are beyond whatever words you say to them.
[18:51]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
It's interesting that you kind of talk about him as a martyr of the confessional. I never really thought about this before, but of course, the word confessor formerly used to refer to somebody who was tortured because they professed the faith. But in some sense, his sitting in the confessional is like a voluntary imprisonment. You know, it's like a. It's sitting in basically a cell and chaining yourself to it, really. And so it sort of combines the meaning of the older meaning of confessor with what we typically think about as a confessor.
[19:27]
Father Tega Ng
It is a very Christlike act and a Christlike posture. You know, Christ confining himself in that little piece of bread, confining himself in the tabernacle, waiting for us, the Lord of the universe. This a man with his freedom to do whatever he wanted to do, to go wherever he wanted to go, but he Confined himself to that little box for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of souls. And it's interesting, you know, you see, God has a strange sense of humor, like you mentioned. Think of the number of people who have come to know what us is today just because of that act of selflessness. This a man who was little known, a town that was little known. But then today, we are told about 350,000 to 550,000 people visit us every single year.
[20:07]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
That's amazing. That's even more than when he was alive.
[20:11]
Father Tega Ng
Exactly.
[20:12]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
That's amazing.
[20:12]
Father Tega Ng
The legacy transcends time. And because of this, there are two episodes which I would like to share quickly, which relate to his whole life in the confessional. It was because of his time in the confessional and his love for the confession of souls that he was hated most by the enemy, the Devil, so to speak. There are so many testimonies, even from his own sister, about the torments he suffered while he was in Ars from the evil one. You know, just like St. Antonio, Iji, who saw the devil wrestle with the devil. It was the same thing. Sometimes the devil come, pull him by the leg and take him around his whole house, and there'll be screaming sounds and everything from his house. In fact, on one occasion when the sister visited. The sister's name is Marguerite Vianney, visited John and stayed over in the rectory for the night. And John was still in church listening to confession when she started hearing all of these strange sounds. And then she ran to church to meet the brother, like, I cannot sleep. And the brother said this to her. And I quote from her sister's testimony. Oh, my child, you should not have been frightened. It is the grappling, the pitchfork, that is the devil. He cannot hurt you. As for me, he torments me in sundry ways. At times he seizes me by the feet and drags me about the room. It is because I convert souls to the good of God. That's powerful. It tells you a man who is full of faith, who is not afraid of the evil one, and who has given his life for God.
[21:36]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
It's interesting, too, because it reminds me both of St. Benedict and St. Anthony in that the one whom the Devil seems to assail is people who stay in a cave and refuse to go anywhere. You know, it's like Anthony and Benedict. It's both this massive stability, the unmovable devotion to God, you know, physically. And he's in the confessional very much the same sort of. He's holed himself up in a cave and he's staying there for God. So it's kind of. Kind of interesting. Okay. And he becomes, if I. If I'm right, he's the patron saint of priests.
[22:12]
Father Tega Ng
Of priests. He was originally patron saint of parish priests. Three years after he was canonized in 1925, he was made patron saint of parish priests. But in 2010, Pope Benedict met in the patron saint of all priests during the year for priests.
[22:27]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Nice.
[22:28]
Father Tega Ng
Yes.
[22:28]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
All right. So we've heard a lot about John beyond Nina's life and these amazing stories and miracles. And then confessional. What would you say? Sort of like a takeaway for us? Like, how can they inspire us to live our lives as Catholics better today?
[22:41]
Father Tega Ng
Yeah. John is an icon of perseverance in every aspect, in every respect. It's one of the biggest things we can take away. Perseverance on the path of holiness, on the path to which God has called us. Persevering. He's an icon of great humility and modesty.
[22:56]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Yeah, absolutely.
[22:56]
Father Tega Ng
He would wear tattered clothes. He wouldn't care. They don't go with a trend of fashion. And for priests, it's actually a great example and a mother who cannot be labeled. A point. It's a good challenge for us to ask ourselves how much love we have for the souls God has entrusted to our care, how much time we make for them. He did not wait for people to come to ask for confession. He made time for that. He made them know the value of it. So we can also copy that example as priests especially, multiply the opportunities for confessions.
[23:27]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
I think you're totally right. It's a totally, like, build it and they will come situation with confession. I know that as a mom, it's like really. It's just really hard to get to confession for all kinds of reasons. And if more time's available, more people will come. And. Yeah, anyway, it's a great gift.
[23:42]
Father Tega Ng
And on the other hand, too, on the other hand, too, it's a challenge for all Christians, for all of us, you know, to learn from this great sin, the urgency and necessity to use the sacrament of confession, to turn to the Lord and lastly, to be rooted in Jesus Christ. That was a secret and source of everything. John was known for and is known for rootedness in Jesus Christ.
[24:02]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Well, this is wonderful. And I think you spoke very beautifully about a priest's experience of confession that will hopefully help us both see John's legacy and head people towards the confessional.
[24:14]
Father Tega Ng
Exactly.
[24:15]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
Thank you so much.
[24:16]
Father Tega Ng
You're welcome.
[24:17]
Dr. Elizabeth Klein
St. John Maraviani, pray for us thank
[24:20]
Podcast Narrator
you for being a dedicated listener to the Catholic Saints podcast. Your support truly uplifts us. For those seeking additional thought provoking content, go to formed.org It's a platform brimming with resources, including insightful videos that align seamlessly with our podcast's themes. If you're finding value in our podcast, please consider taking a moment to leave us a review. Your feedback serves as a cornerstone for our growth and outreach.